Don't wait for an independent probe of the flotilla events. Every government which had a national aboard the flotilla should conduct its own inquiry.
Not only should the country's nationals be interviewed by detectives, but investigators should try to get statements from everyone aboard. The film clip that appears to show a man being kicked and then executed -- while on the ground -- can be correlated with other information. Whether the victim was a 19-year-old Turkish American or a Turkish journalist or someone else can be clarified.
A British al Jazeera journalist has said Britain pretended he didn't exist during his detention in Israel. The British government is under a moral, if not legal obligation, to investigate the whole affair thoroughly.
No government should "take the lead" on the probing, but each government's investigative unit should cooperate as much as possible with units of other nations.
At a later date, all this evidence can be filed with the UN authority that conducts its own independent inquiry.
Most importantly, proper forensic examinations should be done on bodies. Powder burns will reveal both the range of the shots and relative position of the shooter. No body should be cremated, of course. And if any have been buried, they should be exhumed immediately for proper autopsies.
Also, audio experts -- using tyhe latest computer analysis techniques -- should review the tape in which voices are heard saying "Go back to Auschwitz" and "Remember 9/11." Charges of fraud have been made that the tape was altered by the Israelis, who confiscated materials from the journalists and then released edited footage of what they had seized.
If a country lacks certain forensic capabilities, there are experts and laboratories in Europe and the United States that can be hired.
All video and photographic records should be copied and shared.
Interestingly, Obama honcho Rahm Emanuel, known as a big fan of Israel, was in Israel as the flotilla was being formed. Many wonder whether he was consulted by Israeli officials on the commando strike decision and further, whether he gave his assent on behalf of the White House.
These questions might be worth the attention of Sen. Diane Feinstein, a California Democrat who has expressed support for an independent probe of the flotilla deaths.
The New York Times coverage of the flotilla affair has been uneven, to say the least, with nothing today on the flotilla "kill video." One useful result of the flotilla tragedy is that many begin to see how influential Israel supporters are in roping off U.S. news coverage.
However, the Times had a strong page one piece today on the Obama administration's get-tough policy on sources of news leaks. We learn that the NSA computer expert who is facing prison for disclosing to the press a poorly designed data mining system was something of a hero, having struggled mightily to block what he and others considered a worthless boondoggle. Apparently he was right. The program was scrapped as ineffective and too costly.
The Times names Robert S. Litt, a lawyer in the national intelligence director's office, as the top legal gun behind the crackdown. Another person in Litt's sights is James Risen, a Times reporter who disclosed the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program.
The Times story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/us/politics/12leak.html
A Politico piece mentioning Litt:
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=E9F5ADD6-18FE-70B2-A85699477FFF8F9F
ACLU is suing the government for Data on E-spying Law
The ACLU is using the Freedom of Information Act to seek
information on possible abuses under the FISA Amendments
Act.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100604_7190.php
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